


Misconceptions of Mages

by uofmdragon



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Accidental Baby Acquisition, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Enemies to Lovers, Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, Magic, Minor Bucky Barnes/Natasha Romanov, Minor Carol Danvers/James "Rhodey" Rhodes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-19
Updated: 2019-11-19
Packaged: 2021-02-13 12:54:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21494626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/uofmdragon/pseuds/uofmdragon
Summary: When Mage Clint agreed to go to Madria to arrange a marriage between the King and Queen of Luja's heir and the only son of the Noble Vodon Family, he did expect to deal with assassins killing everyone, but the Vodon son and having to flee through Madria's back country while his partner fled North in hopes of splitting pursuit.  He certainly didn't expect to run into Phil Coulson, Mage of the Riverlands in Lones, Madria or expect Coulson to insist upon him helping Clint.  Clint should have really, there was no way that Coulson would trust Clint with Vodon heir, because Coulson did not trust Clint.When Phil went to visit his sister in Madria, he didn't expect to find Mage Barton on the run with a baby in tow and very paranoid.  Of course, he wants to keep an eye on Barton.  The man believed in fairies and claimed to have a familiar that no one had ever seen!  Barton was probably behind the Vodon assassination and was kidnapping Folcher Vodon. It was Phil's duty to Queen, King, and Country.  He just wasn't expecting Barton to suggest that they act like lovers to throw off any potential pursuers.
Relationships: Clint Barton/Phil Coulson
Comments: 23
Kudos: 81
Collections: Marvel Trumps Hate 2019





	Misconceptions of Mages

**Author's Note:**

  * For [QueenBee4Ever](https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenBee4Ever/gifts).

> Written for QueenBee4Ever and Marvel Trumps Hate. QueenBee4Ever requested Fake/Pretend relationship, Enemies to Lovers, and Accidental Baby Acquisition. She also said she liked Horses, dragons, familiars, shapeshifters, Urban Fantasy, and Fairies.
> 
> Beta by lapillus. 
> 
> Maps at the end are from Azgaar's Fantasy Map Generator v1.22

Clint woke with a start, listening carefully to try to determine what woke him. His eyes peered beyond the mouth of the cave into the morning fog, but there was nothing. It hadn't been a spell that had awoken him. There, the hungry whimper of the babe had roused him. Clint shook himself fully awake, even as he knew there was nothing in his packs for the child, not that his packs had much. Fleeing in the dead of night makes you wish you had even the worst of travel rations.

He couldn't hunt for anything either, because he didn't dare leave the baby behind. The infant was the last remaining member of the Vodon Family, destined to become Consort-King of Luja and marry the only daughter of King James Rhodes, Defender of Lujan Barrier, and Queen Carol Danvers, Lord Commander of the Knights of the Eight Pointed Star. The young Vodon had been gifted with the name Folcher Conchobar Vodon and was destined to an overly long title that Clint privately thought was overdoing it. Was every hoity-toity lord compensating for something with such long ass titles? 

So, no food for either of them, and not much in the way of warm clothes. Clint had grabbed the bedding with Folcher and been able to grab his armor. The good news is they were headed south, the bad news it was going to take much longer, because he was going to have double back and the weather was turning. He should be able to make it back to Luja before the snows set in. 

Folcher whimpered again and Clint moved to pick him up, trying his best to soothe him and keep him quiet. Someone was probably looking for them, there was no way that they hadn't realized the Vodon baby was missing and thus could not have been assassinated with the rest of his family. 

Clint had enough food, he was used to rationing and there were other ways…

He should do it now, while he still had energy to fend of an attack. Also while it still looked like he was headed into Pejastan, which Mardria had annexed when the only Mardria's Prince had married Pejastan's only Princess and produced one surviving heir, who currently sat on the throne. 

Sighing, Clint pulled his knife and slit his finger, letting the blood drop into the ground. "Please, we need help." 

There was no immediate response. Folcher whined again, Clint sniffed, and reared back.

"Aw, kid, you didn't?" he grumbled.

Clint laid Folcher onto the ground and went about checking to make sure the babe was clean. He was not and Clint grimaced as he tried to figure out how this could work, because whoever had attacked the Vodon household probably knew he was a mage and magics could be tracked. He was fairly sure that cleaning that mess out of Folcher's small clothes was going to take some High Magic and possibly a full blood sacrifice ritual. There was no simple spell for that. 

"If you're expecting help with that smell, then I'm not sure there's a power in the world," a small voice said.

Clint jumped, knife out and pointed at the small creature. It looked humanoid, but very small and made of wood.

"You called, I came," it said.

Clint slipped the knife away. "You startled me."

The creature regarded Clint. "What you want?"

Clint considered. "The babe needs food and the Queen of the Fairy Court, Gamora Zen Whoberi Ben Titan, has blessed me with her favor."

"Yes, several favor chits. You good human."

"One chit for food for the babe, a second if the food arrives, before he begins to scream his hunger," Clint said.

"Chits rare."

"If we don't have someone following us, we will soon. The babe needs to stay quiet."

The creature nodded. "Anything else?"

"Food for myself, I can wait though." He paused, considering things. "Would it be possible for you to hide my trail by making it look like we are continuing east, when I turn back south and west?"

The creature considered. "Depends where, might not be my place. Others maybe."

Clint nodded. "The food then, one chit for food for both of us and oats for the horse. A second if the babe's arrives before he cries."

"Token?"

Clint regarded him. "Are you offering or asking?"

"Offering, keep human quiet"

"For another favor chit?"

The creature nodded again.

"I will consider it," Clint said. It would be useful, and he knew that Queen Gamora had only given him a few of the chits. Fairy magic was odd, more intention than anything. Clint had the chits and only he could choose to give them back, but he could give those chits to the other fairy. Still, it was going to be a long hard ride to Lones and he'd most likely have to exhaust the favors. He'd be able to restock in Lones. Then he'd have to figure out how to cross the border back into Luja and make his way to the capitol, Queda. 

*

Phil Coulson, Mage of the Riverlands, wandered the city of Lones in Madria. Lones was a gorgeous city with its flowing architecture, pale stones streets, and the flowing of the Reana River and if he didn't love his homeland, he might consider relocating. Also, he didn't think Queen Carol or Nick would forgive him if he moved here. 

_Nor would I, I dislike their winters_ Vinvella, his familiar, said, as she rode on his shoulders. 

_They're not that much worse than what we deal with Queda_, Phil argued, but the cat had a point. He reached up to scritch at her head. _I wouldn't move you, at least not permanently_

_Good._

He turned down a side street and walked a few more buildings down and then into the shop entitled The Reading Hunt. "Melinda?"

"Phil!" Melinda said from behind the desk. "How are you?"

"I'm doing well. And you?"

"I'm good."

"What brings you up north?"

"A visit to my sister to see the new baby. Family obligation completed, I came racing to your door in hopes that you've found us some goodies," Phil said, leaning on her counter. Vella climbed down to take a seat on the counter. She mewed at Melinda. 

"Hello V," Melinda greeted, giving the cat a little scritch under chin. Phil had never given Melinda his familiar's name as mages kept their familiar's names secret, but somehow Melinda knew to call her 'V'. "I was just about to write to you, I've got a number of books that I thought might interest you."

"No need, for here I am," Phil said.

Melinda rolled her eyes. "Don't rob me and I'll go get them."

Phil nodded and he waited. At least, he waited until felt a tingle along his neck like someone was watching him. 

_Vella? Anyone watching us from the street?_ He gently tugged her on her tail, causing Vella to turn and look at him and also catch a glimpse of the street. It should look like an owner playing with a cat. Madria didn't have much in the way of familiars, whereas Luja had them in scores.

_I'm not seeing anyone,_ Vella answered. 

Phil hummed softly. "Could have sworn that someone was watching us."

_I could not spot them_ Vella commented. _Your instincts are rarely wrong._

"Here they are," Melinda said, coming around the corner. She had a multitude of books in her arms, which were set on the counter.

The top book was _Magnificent Counter-Curses_, which was pretty much what the title indicated. _Towers of Mystical Chi_ was about Vebolan magic, which Phil set aside along with _Ethereal Alchemy_. _Grand Medimagic_ went into the keep pile. Phil paused on the last book, looking up at Melida. "Really?"

"You said you wanted information in one of your letters. This was the only thing I've come across…"

Phil looked back down, flipping open the cover of _Phenomena of Fey Magical Companions_. He skimmed some of the pages, but it did seem to be about summoning a fey familiar, except the fey weren't real. Well, there were a few that claimed they were, but seriously…

He hesitated, before tossing it onto the keep pile. "How much?" Phil asked, tapping the pile.

Melinda grinned, naming her price.

Phil considered it, before nodding once. Melinda preferred not to haggle, and, so long as Phil kept not haggling, she gave him a lower price than anyone else. He reached into his money belt and pulled out the gold for it. Then he tucked away the books. 

"So any truth to rumor that a Madria's noble family is marrying their child to the Luja's Royal Heir?"

"I wouldn't know," Phil said. "Family visit, not involved, and even if I was, I couldn't talk about it."

"I figured I'd ask," Melinda said with a shrug. "You headed back tomorrow?"

"I do need to get back," Phil said. They chatted for a bit, before Phil took his books and headed back to the inn. Once there, he took his books back to the room and dropped Vella off, so that he could make use of the baths. 

As he was climbing out, Vella spoke to him. _You should take your meal in your room_

_Oh?_

_Yes, I'd say you're hungry and get extra_

Phil frowned, but did as Vella requested, going to his room once a tray had been provided. He made it into the room and Vella nodded at him from the bed. Phil set it down on the table and then activated his protection spells along with a spell to make sure that no sound escaped or came into the room. 

"Nice work," a voice said from behind.

Phil jumped, readying a spell only to let it dispitated when he realized Barton was leaning against the wall. "Barton? How the hell…"

_Through the window_ Vella answered.

He looked at Barton a bit harder and realized that he looked thinner and haggard as if he hadn't been sleeping. "What happened to you?"

"Long story, how much do you know?"

"Know about what?" Phil asked, glaring. "What are you doing? Weren't you supposed to be formalizing arrangements with the Vodons?"

"Good, you know about that," Barton said nodding. He pushed off the wall and went over to the table. He dropped into a chair and pulled the tray over to him. 

"Where's Natasha? You two aren't normally far apart."

"Headed north," Barton replied, lifting the cover off the tray. "Not sure where, but she's trying to attract whoever killed the Vodons."

Phil blinked, looking at Vella, who had sat up. "Killed the Vodons?"

Barton nodded. "Massacre." Then shoved a large amount of food in his mouth.

_Ask him about the baby_, Vella demanded.

"What baby?" Phil asked, only to be given a glimpse to Vella's eyesight. Phil took a few steps and sure enough, there was a child sleeping in a drawer. Barton had swaddled the child. "Where did the baby come from?!"

"Last Vodon," Barton said around a mouth full of food.

Phil stared at him for a long moment. "So his family is dead, you kidnapped him, and you're what? What's your goal?"

"Queda."

Safety, Phil realized. He sank down into a chair as he considered everything Barton had said. The question was did he believe Barton that someone had massacred the Vodon family or had it been Barton himself. Barton was a mage that had wormed his way into the confidence of King James and Sir Steven Rogers, Knight of the Eight Pointed Star. He was low-born, had started his schooling on magic late in life and still used unorthodox methods, and could not attract a familiar. He had brought in, and was still friends with, Natasha Romanov, a woman from the country of Vruchia. A skilled fighter made even more so with the many gifts of enspelled arms. Barton had also managed to bring Rogers' best friend back from the dead. Well, Barton was the one that said Barnes was 'safe' now, never mind that Barnes had tried to assassinate both King and Queen.

Phil had avoided Barton since the younger man had cursed him and then embarrassed him in court. There were rumors that Phil's allegiance to the crown was lacking and Phil was sure they had come from Barton and his lackeys.

"You're staring," Barton said, breaking through his thoughts.

"Are you going to eat all my dinner?" Phil asked.

Barton looked at the tray. "No, don't want to make myself sick."

"Barton."

"Coulson. Gimme a fucking minute."

_He's tired_ Vella said and Phil glanced over at his cat, who was looking down at the baby. _The child has been well cared for, though the thing its sucking on has been bespelled_

"Why does the child have a magic item?"

"Can't let a baby cry when you're running for your life," Barton said, slowing in his eating.

"And you had something on you to what… mute the baby?"

"No, traded for it, traded for a few things," Barton said. "You in contact with Queda? Fury?"

"Fury likes to know I'm alive, so I usually send him a note."

"You ever pick things up?"

Phil nodded. 

"Great, you're going to send a note."

"You can…"

"What if they're tracking magic?" Coulson growled.

Phil took a deep breath to reject that, but he nodded. If Barton was the only other mage for miles… Which meant Barton had been using limited magic along the way. "No magic?"

"Low level call for help, twice," Barton said. "Got some paper?"

Phil went and grabbed the paper. He offered a sheet and pen and ink to the other man. Then took a seat and penned a note to Nick to be given to the Queen as Barton wrote his own note. Barton slid his own note over and Phil glanced at it. A brief summary of what had happened to Stark and a list of items from his quarters that he was requesting Barnes to collect to be sent with Phil's pick up. Phil looked over at Barton, who was watching him and sipping on a glass of water.

"Sooner it goes and comes back, the sooner I'm out of your hair," Barton said.

Phil pulled the larger parchment out of his pack, settling it on the floor and placed the letters in it. From there it was easy to send it to Nick.

"You planning on doing this on your own?" Phil asked.

Barton nodded. "Kid doesn't deserve to die. Tasha went north to try to split our pursuers, I made it look like we were headed toward the coast and then turned back east to make it here. Not sure where we'll cross back into Luja, then again I probably wouldn't tell you if I did."

"And why is that?"

"Because no one was supposed to know why we were there, so either the Madrian King doesn't like the idea of one of his nobles marrying their child to the throne of Luja, or one of own doesn't like it."

"That's a long way to go by yourself."

"I don't have a choice, Coulson," Barton said.

"I'm headed back, I could…"

Barton snorted. "You hate me.That's no secret."

"And like you're overly fond of me. You came here expecting help."

"Yeah, because you're loyal to the crown and Lady Vodon was Queen Carol's closest friend, except for Sir Maria. You'll get a letter to them and get me some of my stuff, so I have a chance."

"And feed you," Phil pointed out.

"Still, getting my stuff and a potentially dangerous escort mission across who knows how long in enemy territory are two very different entities. The latter isn't something I'd expect you to do."

"You need help and you're right, I don't like you, I don't trust you, but if that is the Vodon child, then he needs to get to safety. It's a suicide mission for one person. You need rest."

"I can't rest."

"I know," Phil said, leaning back into his chair. "So let's figure out how to make this work."

"Why are you up north?"

"Visiting my sister."

"How long?"

"The summer," Phil said.

Barton nodded. "I've got a crazy idea."

"How crazy?"

"Everyone knows you can't stand me. We need a double glamour, and voila…" Barton spread his arms. "Your new husband and his late wife's child." He reached to grab a piece of paper and started writing on it, muttering. "Hopefully, Tony's figured out that trick. If I hadn't had to leave stuff at the Vodons..."

Phil stared at him. "What?" As he considered what Barton said. "A double glamour."

"When they pierce the first glamour, they see something else, usually something uglier than the first, so it looks like…"

"They used a glamour to look better than they actually are and most people wouldn't think to look for a second glamour under the first, so they would just assume the magic was from the first one," Phil finished.

Barton grinned at him and nodded. "Tony loves the idea, he just hasn't been able to get it to work right. Too basic magic." Barton handed him another letter. "We're going to hope this one doesn't draw attention."

Phil nodded and took a moment to send it onwards. "You still have that horse…?"

"Yep, and I already have enchanted tack for him, it's on Bucky's list." He paused. "I should make backups of this stuff to leave behind in case i have to abandon stuff on missions."

"You have something like this?"

"It's how Tasha and I got to Estes, except massacre happening. I didn't have time to grab it."

"They could…"

Barton nodded. "I got something that will dispel it all that I can activate, but I also have a magic eye mixed in it, so I could spy, but…"

"You don't feel it's safe to use magic, but with traveling with me, you can use it, so long as it looks like me."

"Maybe, there's a different flavor to our magics, if they have someone that could track my particular magic..."

"You can't track magic like that…"

"Yeah, because everyone you know was trained the same way in the same school. Hedge stuff, everyone has a little twist on how they do things. My original training was hedge stuff."

Phil pursed his lips together and decided not to get in on it. "Alright, let's talk about our relationship, because I'm sure we'll be asked questions."

Barton nodded and they got down to work.

*

Zaide, Clint's horse, which Coulson had been referring to the night before, now looked like a well-kept cob rather than the Saitserdia horse that he was. Underneath the glamour, he looked like an ugly, old piebald cob with an unfortunate spot that looked like a dick and balls. Clint, after looking in a puddle, was bearing a remarkable resemblance to Steve, except his hair was darker and he wasn't quite as bulky. He wasn't sure what he looked like underneath, but Clint had a feeling it was Steve related. He wondered if it was because of Stark's obsession of Steve or because Coulson's hero worship of Steve that Stark had chosen the look. 

Clint re-entered Lones and slowly made his way toward the inn Coulson was staying at. He kept his eyes wide as he scanned the crowd, trying to look as if he was taking in the city rather than scanning for someone too interested in him. He made into the courtyard of the inn as a stablehand came to greet him.

"Yes, I'm looking for Mage Phil Coulson," Clint said, looking at him.

"I can see if he's still here," the stablehand offered.

"Please," Clint said. "His sister says that he tends to stay here. I don't want to miss him."

The stablehand nodded and hurried off to run inside. Clint stayed on the horse, because if he really was looking for the love of his life that he'd let slip away, then he wouldn't want to get down, so he could move on faster. It wasn't too long before Coulson stepped out and then Clint hurried to climb down, carefully, keeping the child safe.

"Phil!!" he yelled, hurrying across the yard to greet him.

"Hawk?" Coulson said, looking confused. "What are you doing here? I thought you decided to stay…" 

Clint grinned. "Phil, I changed my mind. I missed you more than I should. Please, is the offer to come with you still open?"

Coulson hesitated, looking confused. "Yes."

"But what about…?" Coulson started just as Folcher started crying, so Coulson's eyes went to the pack on his back. He nodded. "Good, you brought him with."

Clint smiled at Coulson. "I rode all night, your sister said, you'd only stay a day and…"

"I'll speak to the innkeep. We can get another night and head out tomorrow," Coulson said, pulling Clint forward and into the inn. 

Clint leaned into him. "Good. I need to see to the horse, can you…? Will…?"

"Of course, I'll take Finch," Coulson said, helping Clint remove the baby carrier and taking the child. Clint smiled at him. 

"Thank you," Clint said, heading over to grab his horse and take care of it. Zaide was in desperate need of some care. He had to leave the bridle on, because that's where the spell was centered. Once Zaide had been fed and watered, Clint headed into the inn where a servant spotted him looking around and guided him up to Coulson's room where a full breakfast was with occupying Folcher. 

"I'm assuming, you didn't eat," Coulson said as he entered. 

"I didn't," Clint said. 

Once the door was closed, Coulson put up the spell. "Take it off, you look like Sir Steve."

"I'm aware," Clint said, pulling the necklace off his head. "Trying to decide if Tony is messing with you or he designed it without even realizing it, because of his own fascination."

Coulson glared at him. "No problems?"

Clint shook his head.

"I figure you can eat and take a nap before we go get some extra supplies. Just have to make you look a bit more disheveled."

"Had your way with poor Hawk, huh?" Clint said, going over to the table to start eating. "We have the room another day?"

"We do. I sent a message to my sister about our deception, so she can back us," Coulson added. 

Clint nodded as he ate. He watched as Coulson occupied Folcher, feeding some of the softer foods and talking to the babe. It was kind of adorable. Clint finished his food and kicked off his boots. Climbing into the bed with his armor on.

"You can take that off?" Coulson suggested.

"Nope, if I got to run, want it on," Clint replied, closing his eyes. It wasn't long before he did manage to drift off.

*

"This isn't going to work," Phil said, softly as they packed up for the second day on the road as he realized the giant flaw in their plan. This was clearly the first baby that Barton had ever handled.

Barton jolted, scanning the woods for something, before relaxing slightly and looking at Phil. "What isn't?"

"Well, it's a baby, not baggage," Phil said. "You're not acting like a parent of six month old."

"I'm doing my best, it's not like I have family to teach me this shit," Barton growled. "He's been clean and fed."

Phil blinked, before nodding. "And you've done a good job, but you have to talk to him, and not orders."

Barton nodded.

"Treat the baby as if the noises are words, point things out to him on the road," Phil suggested. "You might have gotten away with this way of acting if the baby was younger, but our story is the mother died in birth. You've had months of practice and every town busybody would have been giving you advice."

Barton grinned. "They do like to give unwanted advice."

"Exactly," Phil said.

"You're better at this than I am," Barton said. "Dealing with a baby."

"Well, I've had practice. My sister had her third in the spring," Phil said. "She married a minor lordling from Madria."

"Only a minor?" Barton asked, cinching the girth on the saddle and testing it.

Phil followed suit with his own horse. "It was a love match and I think my parents did, but I also think they were happy they had one normal child."

"Normal?"

"No magic," Phil said, scanning the campsite one last time to make sure they hadn't left anything. 

Barton was starting to mount up and Phil climbed up on his horse as well. Phil took the lead, heading back to the road. 

"Magic a bad thing in your family?" Barton asked. "Is it a bad thing in general?"

"When you come from a family with no magic, it can be, especially if it takes months to figure out what is going on after accidentally setting a few spells off," Phil admitted, grimacing.

"There were a couple of hedge wizards in the circus, not that I wanted to go be one with nature when I could be working with the marksman," Barton said.

Phil turned and looked at him. "Circus?"

Barton nodded. "Parents died when I was young. My brother and I ran away from the state home, ended up there."

"And your brother?"

Barton shrugged. "Don't know, we parted ways when I caught him stealing and then the healers hauled me off to mage school."

"You didn't want to be there?"

"No, I would have been happy being a hedge wizard with the circus, but… it probably would have been a waste of my talents. At least that's what Tasha tells me."

Phil hummed and nodded slightly. "You do have the ability to help people."

Barton was quiet for a long moment. "You're not sure I do, though. So, what else can I do with Finch."

"Talk about what you see, if he's awake," Phil suggested.

"You want to listen to that inane babble this whole trip?"

"It's what a father would do."

Barton sighed, but he soon started talking about birds. Phil squinted as he listened, scanning the trees to try and spot what Barton was babbling about.

"What the fuck are you seeing?" Phil exclaimed after a few minutes.

"The birds in the trees," Barton said, reining his horse into a halt. Phil stopped his own. "Okay, see the pine."

"Yeah," Phil said.

"About three quarters of the way up, right next to the trunk, but a little toward the road…"

Phil looked, squinted, and drew on his magic to enhance his vision to spot the bird Barton was seeing. "I thought you weren't using magic?"

"I'm not, I just see things far away really well. It's why I prefer long range spells, rather than close up ones. I make mistakes with all the fiddly circles and stuff."

Phil grunted as he considered that. "But you carved…"

"Yeah, I have Tony or Nat check my work. I like the idea of the paper circle that you don't have to redraw though. That'd be useful," Barton said, nodding.

Phil nodded, his eyes drifting to a pull of magic with sight. There. "Something's coming our way. I can see it with mage sight. Other side of the road."

"I see it," Barton said, reaching behind him to pull out his bow and an arrow from the quiver attached to his saddle. "How you want to do this?"

"Keep moving," Phil said. "Keep your eye on it, if it attacks, we fight back."

"Fair," Barton agreed, spurring his horse forward.

Phil followed, reaching out to Vella. _Vella, mind being a little bigger?_

_Not at all_ Vella replied. 

Phil dropped the reins, starting the spellcasting to make Vella bigger and more dangerous. The creature noticed their movement and roared, charging at them. Phil felt something pass by and an arrow sprouted in the creatures face. It looked like a bear, but was covered in feathers. Phil unleashed his spell and Vella leapt from the back of the horse, transforming mid jump and growling at the bear. Another arrow sprouted from the creature's hide. 

"Don't hit Vella," Phil said.

The only reply was another arrow flying by. Phil started constructing a shield spell for them as Vella pounced. The creature screamed, trying to get at Vella, but Vella was too fast. She darted in and out as Barton fired more arrows. It wasn't long before the creature was felled. 

"Well, that was exciting," Barton said, stopping his horse and getting off. "Take Finch?"

"Yeah," Phil said, leaning down to take Finch off Barton's back as Barton moved closer to the downed creature. Vella shrunk down back to her regular form as Barton neared, slitting the creature’s throat and then removing arrows. He took his time, looking at it, before hurrying back to Phil and the horses, pausing only to pick up Vella and give her a lift back. He returned Vella and Phil gave Barton back Finch. 

"I don't like the look of that thing, I say we get a move on, try to find somewhere safe."

"Sounds like a plan," Phil agreed as Barton mounted up. Together they spurred their horses on and hurried down the road.

*

"We can back the horses into the cave," Clint said, eyeing the cave. "Throw a protection shield around it."

"It'll be awfully tight," Coulson said. "And if the horses spook and…"

"Zaide won't spook. He's a Saitserdian. They breed 'em to be smarter than the average. Your horse goes against the wall, Zaide will keep her steady. We can't leave 'em outside, if they get attacked and killed, we’d have to walk." 

Coulson sighed. "Fine."

"You take Finch, I'm going to go hunt for us," Clint said, turning and heading off into the woods. 

"Be careful," he heard Coulson call after him. 

When Natasha and Clint travelled together, hunting was normally his responsibility. He tended to spot game trails and game. Once he found one or the other it wasn't long, before he tracked them. Tonight, he managed a brace of rabbits and headed back to the campsite. By the time he got back to the camp, Coulson had a fire going and was watching Finch crawl around the site. 

"Got some rabbit," Clint said, setting down near the fire to start cleaning them. He tossed the entrails toward Coulson's familiar, who blinked in surprise before leaning down to eat them.

"Are you feeding my familiar?" Coulson asked. 

"Someone has to," Clint replied. "I liked the growth spell you used on her."

"Thanks," Coulson said, softly. "Not one that you use often?"

"Not one I use at all, actually," Clint admitted. "Though it would come in handy when you're on the road. Assuming you could use it for stuff that's not living."

"As far as I know, it's for familiars."

"Oh," Clint said, nodding. "Well, you'll have to teach it to me when we get back."

"Except you don't have a familiar," Coulson said.

Clint looked up from his work, staring at Coulson. "I have a familiar."

"We've been the road for four days, I haven't seen it," Coulson stated, looking around. "Is it your horse?"

"Ze's not here," Clint said. "Ze's been keeping an eye on the Vodon's manor."

"You left your familiar back in Estes?"

Clint nodded. "Ze volunteered. Plus ze can destroy what magical items I left behind before ze leaves."

"Zee?" Coulson asked.

Clint shrugged. "That's the way ze refers to zirself." 

"So zee's not a nickname?"

Shaking his head, "Nah, ze's species has like a third gender that is like... neither male nor female, but it can also be both. Ze's explained it, don't quite understand it, but I'm not about to piss off my familiar."

"What species of familiar has three genders?" Coulson asked.

"Coulson, humans don't have two."

Coulson opened his mouth, before nodding. "True, but most familiars don't do that."

"Mine does, but I'm not a normal mage, I don't have a normal familiar," Clint replied, putting the rabbits on the fire to cook.

"That's true," Coulson agreed. "I could teach you the spell now?"

Clint shook his head. "Take practice, which means a lot of magic, easier tracking."

Coulson nodded. "So…?"

"We could put it on arrow to be released upon impact, I'd be able to hit zir in the air."

Coulson regarded him. "I don't know how to do that. I don't make magical items."

"You're sharp, I'm sure you could catch the trick if I showed you on a couple of arrows," Clint offered. Tyrra would enjoy being bigger than ze normally was. 

"So you'll do that, but not learn yourself?" Coulson asked.

"Yeah, because I know it will take me a lot longer to learn it than to teach you how to bespell something," Clint pointed out.

Coulson looked ready to argue, but then he nodded, letting it go. He didn't say anything and, as Folcher started crying, Clint knew Coulson's attention was gone. The rabbits needed a few more minutes, so Clint leaned into himself, finding the delicate thread and reached for Tyrra. 

_No Tasha,_ Tyrra answered. _No one is happy and they are leaving._

_Are they?_ Clint asked.

_Neither search party has returned, but spells have flown… Some in your direction. Be wary_

_Always,_ Clint promised. _Destroy the arrows, before you leave_

_Soon._

_Let Chydes and Galbi know?_

_Spoke with Galbi. Told Chydes, not sure if he listened_ Tyrra replied, sounding irritated about zirs brethren. Clint hadn't planned on having three respond to him when he sought a familiar in fey plane. However, three had - Tyrra had attached zirself to Clint, Galbi to Natasha, and Chydes had disappeared for a long time, before returning with Bucky. 

Clint blinked, opening his eyes to see the fire. He thought about telling Coulson, but Coulson was apparently one of the many who didn't believe Clint when he said he had acquired a familiar. He wasn't going to push it though. Coulson would see when Tyrra arrived, if he could spot zir; ze had been given the moniker The Sneaky One for a reason.

*

Murrun was the last village before the major crossing into Luja. It was the last place to get supplies and the perfect spot to catch up on rumors. Clint was playing the besotted fool and secretly he enjoyed Coulson's quick glimpses of surprise, discomfort, and being disturbed. Clint finished his bargain for feed for horses, giving out the money, and taking his supplies. He turned and looked around to spot Coulson. Hurrying across the market square, Clint didn't quite jump into Coulson's arms, but darted in to give him a quick kiss.

"I won," Clint said, grinning wickedly. 

Coulson huffed. "I'm not surprised, you're a terror when it comes to the horses."

"I do not terrorize the horses."

"No," Coulson agreed, giving Clint a fond look. "But you don't let anything come between you and their care."

"What else do we need?" Clint asked, taking Finch back from Coulson.

"Not much, some spare rations for us," Coulson said and guided them through the market area. Both perused stalls and Clint was careful to keep listening.

"...border," a woman said.

Clint double tapped Coulson's arm.

Coulson glanced at him. "You wait here, I'm going to look at the stall."

"Of course," Clint said, watching him, but his attention went back to the woman.

"It's horrible," a woman with a higher pitch the first said.

"Trade is going to dry up in this town if it they delay people," First said. "All because something happened up north."

"But they won't tell us what happened!"

"I heard an assassin stole a noble's child," a third raspy voice said.

"Don't be silly," High Pitch replied. "Assassins kill, if an assassin took it, that child is dead."

There was a moment of silence.

"What?! I'm not wrong!" High Pitch said.

"You're not right either," First replied. "Still, best get what you can now. You'll regret if they do close the border."

Well, that meant going off the main road, Clint thought to himself as Coulson returned holding two loaves of bread. Clint arched an eyebrow.

"I need something to go with your penchant for rabbit," Coulson said, looking at him.

"Uh huh," Clint replied.

"Don't look at me like that Hawk. I can afford it."

"Well, we maybe we should get some cheese?" Clint suggested. "And then back to the inn."

"Sounds like a good plan," Coulson agreed with a nod. "Tired?"

"A little bit and so is Finch."

Coulson hummed and took his arm to lead him into the crowd. Clint leaned into him as they made their way. They bought some cheese and headed back to the inn, going straight up to their room. Coulson took Finch from Clint and settled the baby, before putting up the shields and looking at him. "Hear something?"

"They're watching the border, so we're going to go away from the main crossing."

"Damn," Coulson muttered. "Thieves are bad in these parts, so away from the road..."

"We'll likely meet them, but we don't have a choice. We can handle whatever hedge wizard is running with brigands. I'm not sure we can handle whoever took out the Vodons by ourselves."

Coulson nodded, sighing. "You're right." 

"If we use magic, we'll bolt… Maybe I can…" Clint trailed off, because he knew Coulson was a non-believer in the fey.

"You can what?" Coulson asked.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Well, now I'm curious," Coulson said, sitting in his chair and watching him.

Clint sighed. "Talk the fey into covering our tracks. I think they still owe me one. I spent a lot of favors they owed me to get to Lones."

"You know just when I think you're okay, you start talking crazy," Coulson said. 

"Yeah, well, at least I don't make snap judgements on people because of their class."

"I do not do such a thing."

"You did it with me!" Clint said. "I was barely there for a week and you were shunning me."

"You cursed me - warts, boils, rashes."

Clint stared at him. "What?"

"That is hedge magic and you did it to me! You embarrassed me in front of Audrey. One of the boils popped on her."

Clint made a face, because disgusting. "Still wasn't me. Long range curses are something I can't do. Put a curse on object, yes, but not long range and I would have had to."

"And what about embarrassing me by making my clothes turn invisible in front of the whole court"

Clint snorted. "Still wasn't me, Tasha's invisibility cloak came from Tony. Too fiddly."

Coulson paused, staring at him. He nodded slowly. "You didn't do any of those things and the rumors that I'm a spy?"

"Not from me," Clint said quickly, because he hadn't done that. He knew Coulson was loyal.

Coulson frowned, looking away. 

Clint decided to leave Coulson alone and give him time to figure out if he believed Clint or not. He reached into his bag and pulled out a map, trying to figure out the best way to slip off the road and make into Luja. 

*

_Phil._

_Phil, please._

Phil groaned, he just wanted to sleep. He was so tired.

_Phil, you've got to wake up… I can't hold the spell back for much longer_ Phil shoved at the voice, because sleep was so good.

_PHILLIP COULSON! I AM VINVELLA, YOUR FAMILIAR AND YOU MUST WAKE UP!!_

Phil grunted and forced an eye open. He could feel Vella's weight on him. He peered around the cave Barton and he had selected the night before. Barton was up, Phil realized catching the low murmur of his voice. There by the entryway, Barton was seated and Phil could make out his profile. There was something there, something that had Barton's attention.

_The green one is casting the spell_, Vella said. 

Phil reached out to Vella, strengthening her and slowly together they were able to push back the sleep spell. Not quite able to break it at least not yet. 

"You'll keep them safe?" Barton said as he stood.

"They will sleep the day away," an accented female voice said. The one in green as Vella had said. "I will make sure."

"We must get a move on, the longer we wait, the more of our kind gettin' killed," a male voice said. Blue, no, he had blue skin and red jacket.

Barton nodded and followed the blue one out. Barton paused at the cave mouth to look back at Phil, before turning back and stepping outside.

Where the fuck was he going, Phil thought to himself. He pushed back against the spell, channelling his anger to break through the spell.

"Ow!" the green one said as the spell broke. Phil pushed himself up, tucking Vella under as he stood. 

"Who are you? What did you do with Barton?" Phil growled.

"I am Mantis of Queen Gamora's court. I have done nothing with the Mage-Knight of the Sister Courts. We asked for his aid and he agreed."

Phil mentally ran through the rulers and frowned. He'd never heard of the Sister Courts nor Queen Gamora. "Never heard of Gamora." _Have you?_

"Well… you are… human."

_Yes, Gamora is Queen of the Green Court of the Fey lands,_ Vella said. _She is fey._

Phil's eyes narrowed as he looked down at Vella. _How do you know this?_

_Familiars know many things that humans fail to ask about, so sure that you a right in your belief that Fey don't exist_

_But…_ Phil started. 

_I'm a magic cat, you don't think there's not some fey blood in me_.

Phil almost dropped her, before sighing. "Right, where did Barton go?"

"To deal with the sorcerer," Mantis answered.

"And which way is that?"

"Yondu of the blue court is taking him."

"Yes, but I want to go help," Phil said.

Mantis' eyes widened. "Oh, but you can't do that. I'm to make sure you stay safe until the Mage-Knight returns. You're supposed to be sleeping."

"Yes, but I'm awake and I want to help."

"The Mage-Knight was adamant that you and the child be kept safe. My magic hides you here. You cannot go."

Phil resisted, but Mantis had a point. He'd forgotten about Folcher and someone did need to take care of the babe. He reached out towards the baby magically and found the sleep spell was still on it. He looked at Mantis. "Are you going to remove the spell or will I have to?"

Mantis frowned, but looked toward the child and Phil felt the spell disperse. Folcher immediately woke up and started crying. He went over to the baby and picked it up, sniffing to check the diaper and sure enough it was full. Phil set to taking care of Folcher's needs and playing with the tyke. It set the tone for most of the day, Phil fed the baby, changed the baby, and played with the baby. While the baby slept, Phil worked on creating a magical arrow that could enlarge a familiar for Barton. Barton had showed him the trick, but he hadn't been successful in his attempts so far. He also tried to engage Mantis in conversation, but she mostly ignored him or made some comment about how odd humans were. 

As the sun was starting to set and Phil was working on dinner, Phil caught movement headed toward the cave. Phil picked up Folcher and went to the entryway, where Mantis sat. 

"The evil has been defeated," Mantis said. "The Mage-Knight returns."

Phil watched as Barton made his way to the cave, noting the blue figure running ahead of him. Barton paused outside the cave, meeting Phil's eyes.

"You're supposed to be sleeping," Barton said.

"Apparently Vella and I can stop a fey's sleep spell," Phil replied. "You coming inside?"

"Well, you can't come out until i come in. How pissed are you that I took off?" Barton asked.

Phil sighed, turning to go further into the cave. "We still have leagues to go to get Folcher to safety. I'm willing to listen to your reasoning. I may hit you when we reach Queda."

"Fair," Barton said, before kneeling down in front of Mantis. "Thank you for protecting them."

Mantis murmured something back and Phil could feel magic being done. He noticed Barton entering the cave first, which meant the barrier was down. When he turned back towards the fire, large pile of something had grown in the shape of a bed where they had been sleeping, as well as stone cradle. He went over and touched the interior of the cradle. It felt warm and had a bit of give. Phil looked to Barton and arched an eyebrow.

"It's their way of making sure we'll have something comfortable to sleep on. They'll watch over us for the night," Barton explained, pulling off his armor. "We're shielded, not many know that they exist, even fewer can spot it, and… well, very few of those know who the fey turn to when they need a champion."

"Is that what you are?" Phil said, going back to fixing food.

Barton nodded. "One of my mentors was as well. It's how I fell into it. They don't like dealing with humans, but sometimes, only a human can fix their problems."

"Like today?"

"There was a wanna-be wizard that had discovered a way to attract, trap, and drain the magical essence of the fairies. They get close they die."

"You get close, you could have died."

"Yes, but that didn't happen. I handled it and dying for them, means they'd owe me something big and that was instant teleportation of you two to the royal gardens."

"That's within the shield."

"I know, if I died this would happen."

"But you're alive and…"

"Both Sisters owe me another favor and I had used most of the favors getting to Lones from Estes."

"They helped?"

"Food, the silence spell, and even laid a false trail for me toward the coast."

Phil nodded. "Very useful."

"If it wasn't for a favor from both courts, I wouldn't have done it," Barton explained. "Joint favors are rare."

Phil nodded. "Apparently Vella has known all along that you were right and didn't feel the need to inform me of that."

"Never asked, did you?"

Phil looked up to meet Barton's amused eyes. "No."

"It's happened with me."

Phil opened his mouth to object.

"So, have you asked her if I have a familiar?"

Phil closed his mouth and looked at Vella. _Does he?_

_Not in any traditional sense, does he have one familiar_ Vella replied. Phil looked over at her, before repeating her wording to Barton.

Barton barked a laugh and looked at Vella. "Answer him truthfully, would you please?"

_Tell him. I don't want to spoil the surprise. Not when The Sneaky One is likely to appear any day now_

Phil relayed the message, much to Barton's amusement. "Sneaky One?"

He straightened his posture, mimicking a lord in act and voice. "My familiar is titled."

Looking between Barton and Vella, Phil shook his head. He was sure he'd figure it out sooner rather than later. "Regardless," Phil leaned down and flipped the three arrows he was able to complete. "I think I managed to put the enlarging spell on those."

Barton looked them over for a bit, before setting them into his quiver. "Looks right to my sight. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Phil said. He finished dinner and handed Barton a bowl to eat, which the other man dug into eagerly. 

_Vella_ Phil said. _The curses at school and the clothing incident. I never asked you about them. Do you know if Barton was responsible?_

_Clint was telling the truth. He specializes in removing curses, not setting them. You might ask how he benefited from the school curses_.

"So, Vella says you benefited from me being cursed back when we were in school?" Phil said, catching as Barton stiffened and gave Phil a long look.

He sighed, before nodding. "Sold legit and fake protection from curse amulets, because other students were terrified they'd be next."

"You sold fake ones?"

Barton nodded. "Yep, and I only overcharged if I thought they were likely to need it after cursing someone else. Those that were generally afraid and had no reason to be, I gave it to them in return for some help with studying." 

"But you sold legit ones?"

"Thought some were actual targets. I kept sneaking them on you, but you kept finding them and tossing them away."

Phil frowned and shook his head. "I thought they were causing the curses."

"Well, no, but I finally convinced that girl who was sweet on you to give one to you and you were curse free for months."

"You gave one to Audrey to give to me?"

"Well, when I tried to offer my help, you shot me down."

"Because I thought you were responsible and I kept finding stuff I didn't own after I ran into you."

"Well, I know that now!" Barton replied, going back to his food. 

Phil finished eating his share. He wasn't too surprised to see that Barton had already passed out. Phil grabbed the bowl to rinse out and repack and then repositioned Barton's body on the mattress teh fey had provided. Phil settled on the far side of it, holding on to Folcher, so that if anything was wrong he could wake up with the baby. Barton needed his rest. It was as he was laying there that Phil reached out to Vella. _Do you have an opinion on Clint?_

_Yes_

_What is it?_

_He's a good man. You have misjudged him, but I don't think he will hold it against you. While he is a servant to three courts. He makes sure not to jeopardize his standing in any of them. Though it helps that the Sister Courts are at peace._

Phil nodded, considering her words as he drifted off to sleep, shifting until he was comfortably pressed into a warm body.

*

_"Just be polite, super polite," Clint said, as the red and black gates opened to the Green Court. Clint waited for the announcement and then made led Natasha through throne room to drop into a kneel and a deeper bow. "Thank you for your invitation..."_

_"There are only two of you," Queen Gamora said. "I was expecting three."_

_Clint looked back at Natasha, before looking toward the queen. "We are each other's only traveling companions."_

_Queen Gamora frowned down at them. "So be it."_

**Another palace, another court. This one was the Blue Court and its gates were purple and silver. Again Clint and Natasha made their way through the throne room to kneel in a deep bow.**

**"So the rumors are true, only two of you travel the lands where three should be," Queen Nebula said. A quick glance revealed her frowning face. "Well, I suppose you should be able to handle the problem regardless, it just may take a bit more… effort."**

Clint awoke to the feeling of being wrapped around another person. He shifted and someone shifted with him. He opened his eyes slowly to find Phil right there, pressed against him. It felt right, especially in the face of his dreams. 

"Well, this is new," Clint grunted. It was… nice, Clint decided. Three, the fey always thought there should be one more. Was that one supposed to be Phil? He'd always known that Phil hadn't liked him, but he'd never known why. Now he did, and he wondered who would have had it out for him at such an early stage in his career, who would have had it out for him when he arrived at Queda. Why drive a wedge between himself and Phil? Clint had one theory as to who was guilty and that was Lord John Garret, Mage of the Northern Border and Phil's closest friend.

Everyone thought that Clint and Phil would get along, if they could just get to know one another. Well, those that claimed friendship with both of them. Clint had always pretended that he had no interest in the other mage, but…

Phil was competent, skilled, kind, and fucking adorable when he interacted with Folcher. If Clint were to create a checklist of his perfect partner, Phil would tick a lot of boxes. Maybe, Clint had a chance now? Maybe they could work something out.

Aw, who was he kidding, Phil was definitely out of his league. Still, he could enjoy the bit of physical closeness as he reached for Tyrra. _Are you close?_

_Yes, ready to sleep on your shoulders for the day_ Tyrra said, sounding tired. Clint hesitated, but offered zir a bit of magic to energize zir. 

_Thank you._

Clint sighed and started working himself free, so that well, it would be his secret that Phil liked to cuddle. He was almost free when Phil's eyes flew open and took in their closeness. "Well this is awkward…"

"Happens all the time, no worries," Clint said quickly, pulling away. "We should get going."

Phil blinked, glancing around the cave, before nodding. "This is going to be hard to hide." He patted the bed.

Well, that was an image Clint was going to file away for later. "It'll fade when the sun reaches its peak." 

Phil arched an eyebrow and Clint mentally reviewed what he'd said, it'd been appropriate, but oh, yeah, his voice had been hoarse.

"Sure of that?" Phil asked, sitting up.

"Completely," Clint said, going to pull his armor back on. "They've done it before, one time I decided to lay about all day. Bam! Flat on my ass."

Phil chuckled as he stood. "That must have been an amusing sight."

"Oh, I'm sure it was," Clint agreed. Together they moved through the cave, picking up things, eating a quick breakfast, and taking care of Folcher. They led the horses out of the cave and down the hill. Clint paused once they were free and dug into his bag to leave a bit of bread. "Thank you for your protection."

Then he mounted up and Phil did the same. They headed south and east. Conversation flowed a bit more easily, at least until they came around a corner to face a pack of brigands. Clint glanced around him to see that they were surrounded.

"Well, look what we've found, boys, a little family," the brigand leader said, smiling widely at them. 

"Fuck," Clint muttered as he eyed them. He glanced over at Phil and met his eyes. "You want front or rear?" 

"Front," Phil said and unleashed a levinbolt toward them. Clint threw his own blast at the rear, startling the brigands' rearguard. Clint signaled Zaide to run for it and thankfully Phil's horse had gotten used to following and followed behind. Clint threw a blast to his left as Phil did the same to the right. Then they smashed through the line, racing up the road. Clint scanned it, looking for a better place to make a stand. He spotted one and guided Zaide toward it. Zaide slowed at the new terrain and worked his way up the small hill. Clint dismounted, grabbing his bow and knocking an arrow as Phil did the same. 

"You think they're going to follow?"

"Yep," Clint said. "We don't want them on our tail." _Tyrra? Don't suppose you've gotten close?_

_I see them, they're already moving toward you._

"They're on the move," 

"You sure?"

Clint nodded, pulling out one of Phil's arrows. "Shall we see how they work?"

"You're not going to shoot one of those idiots are you?" Phil asked.

"Nope," Clint said, looking toward the sky and spotting Tyrra's shape. _Let the arrow hit you_

_What?_ Tyrra asked Clint loosed the arrow at zir. It hit and Tyrra suddenly grew, going from small and deadly to, well, not so much large, but horse sized and deadly. _Oh, I like this. Thank Phil for me_ Ze dove.

"Ze says thanks," Clint said grinning widely at Phil.

Phil, whose mouth was open, staring at Tyrra as ze dove downward, flaming. "That's a dragon. That's a motherfucking dragon!"

"Ain't ze a beaut?" Clint asked, pulling out a regular arrow and hitting one of the brigands that had managed to avoid the flames. 

Between Clint's arrows and Tyrra's flames the brigands were soon gone. As the spell wore off. Tyrra made zir way back.

"Hello my lovely sneak!" Clint said as ze draped zirself over his shoulders.

"We are having a long talk, you and I," Phil said. "A dragon! As a familiar?!"

"I got lucky," Clint said.

_I've missed you,_ Tyrra said. _But I sleep now_

"You sleep, you've had a long flight. I'll hunt for you tonight, promise." Clint looked up to find Phil staring at him. 

"She's amazing," Phil said softly. 

"I know, but ze, Phil, ze prefers that you use ze."

"My apologies," Phil said. He hesitated, biting his lip. "You're an asshole."

"Never denied that," Clint agreed, going to mount back up. "Because I didn't tell you?"

Phil nodded.

Clint smiled and maybe it was his dreams of his first visits to the Sister Courts, but the memory of finding Tyrra came to mind as they rode.

_Clint completed the ritual on his side of the veil between the human and the fey plane. He glanced back at Natasha, who gave him an encouraging smile. "Now we wait."_

_"Now we wait," Clint agreed, looking toward the veil._

_"You okay?"_

_"I'm nervous," Clint admitted as he caught sight of movement. "Though maybe I shouldn't be."_

_Yes, the shape slowly grew larger and Clint realized that it wasn't one shape, but three. _

_"Three?" Natasha said. "Is that normal?"_

_"No," Clint said, standing up. The three shapes were eventually revealed to be small dragons, no bigger than housecats. The three landed in front - all were dark. One had a purple-ish sheen, another one had a reddish tint, and the third so dark it was almost blue. Together the dragons peered around in front and then turned and chirped at one another until the reddish one took flight and disappeared beyond the treeline._

__Hello Clint, I am Tyrra, the Sneaky One_ and Clint knew it came from the purplish one. The bluish one fight took flight and landed in front of Natasha._

_"Clint! Why is one of your familiars talking to me!"_

__Because The Lady wills it_ Tyrra said to him. _

*

They had tried to remain stealthy until they crossed the border. Once across, they had ridden long and hard. Poor Vella was definitely not suited for riding in such a manner. Clint's familiar had taken to the sky to scout the road ahead of them. They slowed down as they neared other passersby to try to lower suspicions. 

Phil privately thought the only reason they stopped so before the sunset was, because Clint had promised to hunt for his familiar. Vella was also benefiting from Clint's hunt as he would toss her pieces as well.

"A dragon?" Phil said, breaking the quiet as Clint put the meat on took. He looked at Vella. "You said he didn't have _a_ familiar."

Clint frowned, glancing at the dragon. "Huh, guess I should have asked. Apparently, the other two are also 'mine.'"

Phil frowned, looking back at him. "Other two?"

"Two more dragons answered my call for a familiar. One took off immediately and the other attached himself to Natasha. I don't think of those two as mine, but ze says they are. I can draw upon them when they're around."

"So you have three dragons?" Phil said, completely shocked.

"Apparently," Clint said shrugging. 

"Tony only has a pair," Phil pointed. "You should be…"

"Oh, I do not want Tony's position, stuck inside, dealing with lordlings and...politics." Clint shuddered.

"Still…" Phil started, but he knew Clint's mind would not be changed. It didn't matter, most people didn't believe Clint had one familiar, much less three. "Well, now I see why you wanted the spell to make them bigger."

"Ze's pretty fierce at this size," Clitn said. "Even bigger…"

"Ze'll be a nightmare to your enemies."

Ze made a chirp like sound and Phil glanced over at zir. Ze stood on zir back haunches and lowered zir long neck in an almost bow. Phil blinked in surprise. "You're welcome."

"How…?" Phil started, looking at Clint.

"I did the ritual here and failed, so I did at a border between here and the fey lands. They came from the fey, pure fey."

Phil nodded. "And one went to Natasha. The third, it sounds like, you've seen it?"

"The Mysterious One found someone that needed her and together they were able to break the magic that bound his mind and set him free."

"Barnes."

"Yeah."

"What's Natasha's title."

"The Careful One. Ze can reach him, Nat is on a ship headed to what I assume is Queda. Ze also gave the Mysterious One a report to give to Bucky and keep the crown aware of what's going on."

Phil blinked. "Are they able to communicate with Natasha and Bucky?"

"To some degree. Ze gets vague when I ask zir about it. I can get some feelings from the other two, but that's about it. Ze will tell me if they want me to know something."

Phil nodded. "Any news?"

Clint looked at his familiar and frowned. "The Madrians think whoever did it killed everyone. Their investigation arrived just after the killers left."

"How long did they stay?"

"They were coming and going for a couple days. Ze had a hard time keeping track of the groups. Someone could have gotten ahead of us."

Phil frowned. "That's not good."

"We're back in Luja. Do you think whoever it was is Lujan?"

"Olgek," Phil said firmly with a nod. "If we ally ourselves then we'll be harder to swallow up. But I know there is a traitor. I thought that was you and Natasha."

"Not me," Clint said.

"Any theories?" Phil asked.

Clint shook his head slowly. "No one I'd feel comfortable accusing. I don't have any proof anyway." 

"You have someone in mind though?"

Clint nodded. "I think whoever turned you against me, is also responsible for this."

"But why…?"

"I don't know, just a feeling," Clint said, avoiding eye contact. "I feel whoever cursed you did so for a reason, which means prescience and that's a rare talent."

Phil frowned. "You think it was intentional rather than a prank?"

Clint nodded. "I don't know, a feeling… The fey, they always seem to expect three of us, ever since Tasha and I started traveling together."

"Maybe they travel in threes?" 

"They don't though. It's not a fey thing! Well, I guess, it kind of is in that they seem to expect me to be traveling with two other people and they are confused when I only have one traveling companion, Phil."

Phil frowned. "You're not serious."

Sighing, Clint shrugged. "Maybe. I just had a couple dreams about old memories, so maybe I'm just reacting to that."

"Maybe, Phil agreed. "But why?"

"Maybe we were destined to do great things. Ze said the Careful One bonded with Natasha, because The Lady wills it."

"And The Lady is one of the Eight Points…." Phil murmured more to himself. He looked to the West were the Olgekian Empire bordered Luja. Olgek did not worship the Eight Pointed Star, which was a representation of Lujan's pantheon of eight gods. Olgek served the The Tentacled Skull. At least the original Olgek did, but the empire had conquered more countries and was slowly converting them. They hadn't declared war on Luja, but their Emperor was old and when the young heir took the throne then he would have to prove himself. He could look elsewhere, but Luja was the smallest and so the crown planned for the eventual war. Could The Tentacled Skull have warned someone and they sent someone to keep him away from Clint and Natasha? No, to think that the gods were that involved in Phil's life was... arrogance. 

"Hey Phil," Clint said, breaking his thought.

He shook his head and found Clint looking at him. "Sorry, I was… thinking."

"I figured," Clint said, holding out a stick with roasted meat. "Food is done though."

Phil took the meat, but didn't eat. "If visions of the future come from the gods, don't you think it's arrogant to assume that one would not want us to be friends?"

"Except the Fey are closer to the gods and different factions all serve different points, so why would they expect a third?"

"And you think it's me?"

"Possibly," Clint shrugged. "Only ones to ask are the fey and I'm sure when we get home, I'll get a summons to bring you."

Phil nodded. "Because we're supposed to be friends?"

"No, because you talked to one of Queen Gamora's subjects, because you broke their spell," Clint explained, biting into his food. "And if Queen Gamora invites you, then Queen Nebula will want to see you."

"Oh." Phil blinked and wondered how one was supposed to act in a fey court. He took a bite of meat and considered it. Should he bring a gift as a token of appreciation? He'd have to ask Clint, if it happened.

*

Phil reined his horse in and studied the area again. 

Clint stopped his horse a few paces ahead of them, turning to looking back at him. "Phil?"

"I know this place," Phil said.

"Yeah?" Clint asked.

"There's a turn off not far from here to Garrett Keep. We'd be safe and have real beds, a hot bath, and something besides rabbit."

"Well, a deer would be a waste," Clint said. "And I don't like squirrel."

Phil sighed. "Still, we can trust John."

"I don't think we should trust anyone. Let's keep moving on to Queda."

"Clint, John is one of my oldest friends," Phil said. "He's like my… Natasha"

Clint frowned. "You're set on this, aren't you?"

"Now, that I've realized where we are, yes," Phil said. "We've been camping since we crossed the border. Let's make use of some of our allies."

"Fine, but he doesn't get told that the baby is Folcher Vodon," Clint said. "We stick to the story…"

"Clint, he's going to realize that you're double glamored."

"Will he or will he think that I'm single glamored?" Clint asked, staring at him. 

Phil bit his lip, looking away. "We need a different story, that doesn't involve a double glamour."

"Except we're supposed to hate each other," Clint reminded him.

"Well, we worked it out on our journey."

"But why would we journey together?" 

Phil hesitated, because Folcher was why and he considered it. He frowned as an idea came to him. "Well, you could have a surprise son and I took pity on you when I ran into you."

Clint glowered at him, but he seemed to consider it.

"I think you're being pretty paranoid. We can trust John with the full story," Phil said.

"No, you may trust him, but we don't," Clint said.

"We?" Phil asked.

Clint pointed skyward and Phil looked up, catching the small dark dot that was his familiar. 

"Your familiar doesn't?" Phil asked. "You asked zir about John?"

"Ze has warned against him and I've asked zir about a lot of people. Ze's my second gut check," Clint said, glancing toward Vella. "Have you asked her?"

"No," Phil said, looking at her. "I trust John."

Clint sighed, muttering something that Phil could make out. Then he raised his voice. "One night, he doesn't know."

"Fine."

"I am so tempted to take the kid ahead and camp," Clint said, looking at him.

"Trust me?" Phil asked.

Clint gave him a long look before nodding. "Alright, Folcher is my bastard love child, better give him here, then." 

They dismounted and Phil gave Clint Folcher. Clint also swapped out his halter, so that Zaide was not glamoured and removed the necklace that held his own glamour. Phil blinked, coming face to face with Clint's actual face for the first time in a few weeks. He met Clint's eyes, which stared into his own. Phil realized that he wasn't quite sure what color they were. He hasn't realized how nice Clint's face was until just now. How good looking Clint was.

"Phil!" Clint barked.

Phil shook his head. "What?"

"Are you happy now?"

"Yes?"

Clint rolled his eyes and mounted back on Zaide. They started and headed down the road. Phil guided them to the turn-off and to Garrett Keep.

*

This was going to end badly, Clint was sure of that as they approached the main gates. Maybe John wasn't home, that could work, John was in Queda all the time. No lord, Phil was close, they could do everything Phil wanted and Clint would be able to relax. 

Yelling came from battlements, which meant it was too late to retreat and go camp in the woods.

Well, hope he's not home, Clint thought to himself.

They were allowed through the gates and into the courtyard. The doors flew open and there stood John Garrett. Clint mentally cursed as he dismounted, glancing back to see the gates had closed. 

"Phil!" John said, heading down the steps and pulling a smiling Phil into his arms. 

"John! How are you?" Phil greeted him.

The two chatted as Clint stood there until John took notice of him. "Mage Barton."

"Lord Garrett," Clint said.

Garrett looked back at Phil. "I'm surprised you're traveling with this one."

"He needed my help," Phil said as Folcher let out a cry.

Clint wiggled to try and comfort him, aware of Garrett's eyes on him.

"He probably needs to be fed," Phil said, moving to help remove the back. "Do you want me to take…"

"Finch," Clint said, going back to the only code name. "Yeah, sure."

Phil took him and sniffed. "Well, it's not just food."

John laughed. "He yours, Phil?"

"Clint's," Phil answered. 

John looked over at Clint. "Right. Didn't know a lady would be interested you. Probably as baseborn as you, eh?"

"Exactly," Clint answered dryly.

"He's trying to be a good father," Phil chided. "But he has no experience, leave him be."

"Well, we've got servants to take care of a baby while we eat and drink."

"I don't want…" Clint started to object.

"Nonsense, you're a guest, let my servants take good care of your Finch," Garrett insisted.

"It'll be fine, Clint," Phil said.

"Alright," Clint agreed. 

Garrett led them inside, and Clint started making a mental map of the keep. They were brought to the keep's baths, after Phil requested a chance to get clean. They bathed in mostly silence, because Phil kept trying to talk about things and Clint kept shutting him down. He did not feel safe. Garrett was at best a bully and Clint privately thought that his geniality was a front for something worse. He bathed quickly and growled at the servant that tried to remove his clothes for cleaning. No way was he not going without armor. 

Phil rolled his eyes when he saw that Clint was back in armor. Then they were led to Garrett's study, where food and wine had been laid out. Phil and Garrett chatted and while Phil attempted to bring him into conversation, Garrett mostly ignored him, which was fine with Clint. 

_Let Chydes know we're at Garrett Keep and have him tell Bucky_ Clint instructed Tyrra. 

_Chydes said that Tony has a townhouse in Embirdin_ Tyrra said. _They are preparing a gate spell to bring you back to Queda quickly. Just let them know when you're ready._

Clint's eyes went to the map behind Garrett's desk. Embirdin was less than a day's ride. They could be home before bed tomorrow. 

_There is someone in the room with Folcher!_ Tyrra mentally yelled.

Clint sent his drink on the table. "I think I should check on Finch."

"He's fine," Garrett said, waving a hand.

"I'm sure he is, but he's my son," Clint said. "And I worry."

"Get a servant," Phil suggested. "We can stay here. It's not like Clint is a great conversationalist."

Garrett eyed both of them. "Alright."

Clint waited for a servant to arrive and showed him the room. He went straight to Folcher's crib and checked to see the boy was still alive. He breathed a sigh of relief as the door slammed shut. He turned to see a young man studying him.

"Can I help you?" Clint asked.

"Yeah, I wanna know how you did it?" the man said.

"How I did what?"

"How your trail went east when you clearly went west," the man said, eyes narrowed. "One of hell of a spell."

Clint's eyes widened, reaching for his magic.

"Ah ah," The man objected. "You set off a spell. John'll take out Phil."

"Okay," Clint said, raising his arms. "So… now what?" _Tyrra, tell Chydes we're going to need a rescue mission._

The man threw something at him and Clint caught it. "Put that on."

Clint glanced at it, noting the head with tentacles on it. He fumbled with it, delaying putting it on. _Tyrra, remember that face. Olgek, have Chydes tell Bucky everything_ He snapped the band on and nothing happened. He reached for his magic and nothing. "Anti-magic band"

"Got it one," the man said. "Now, you're going to come down to the prison and a servant will go report that you requested to be shown your room."

"Right," Clint said, letting himself be led to the prison. He was divested of armor and weapons, searched multiple times. 

Once he was alone, he eyed the band, no visible lock. He sighed. "Well, this looks bad." He wondered if Phil would even notice that anything was amiss. 

*

Phil stepped into his room, head spinning with too much wine. Vella was seated on the table and glaring at him. 

"I know I overdid it," Phil said, waving at her. "Clint went to bed ages ago."

_Did he?_

"Yep, checked on Finch and went to bed." Phil paused, thinking of how paranoid Clint was. "You're right, he probably claimed to go to bed and snuck back to keep watch over Finch."

Vella was silent.

Phil looked over at her as he sat down on the bed, kicking off his boots. "Are you disagreeing with that assessment?"

_Yes, because it is incorrect_

"Then where is Clint?"

_In prison_

Phil straightened and looked up at her. "What?"

_Garrett's ward put him in prison._

"Does John know?"

Vella's tail twitched and started smacking against the table. _Of course, he knows. Ask me, Phil, ask about my opinion on John Garrett._

"Okay, how do you feel about John?"

_I do not trust him. Neither do the King's familiar; Tony's familiars; and Goose, the avatar of the Eight. He was the one that cast the invisibility spell on your clothes._

Phil paled, reaching up to touch his chest. He pumped magic through his body, purging himself of the wine's influence and giving himself a clearer head. "Alright, can you guide me to Clint?"

_Of course,_ Vella stated.

Phil nodded and went to pull on his armor, only to discover that it had not been returned by the servants. "Fuck. Alright, let's go."

_Idiot_, Vella muttered. 

Phil opened the door to meet armed guards. "What's the meaning of this?"

"Do you need anything Lord Coulson?"

"I need to check on Clint," Phil said. "Can you take me to him?"

The guards exchanged a look, before they nodded and started guiding him straight back to John's office.

_Vella, run_ Phil mentally sent to her. 

John was seated behind his desk, holding Folcher, and tsked when he saw Phil.

"John? Is there a problem?" Phil asked, trying to play dumb. "I just wanted to make sure Clint was okay, he's gone through a lot."

"He left, Phil," John answered. "Snuck out, left this little guy."

"He wouldn't do that," Phil objected.

John regarded him for a long moment. "Oh, Phil, finally figured out we're not on the same side, huh?"

Phil reached for his magic.

"You hit me, you hit this guy. Plus if I die, so does Barton," John said, grinning wickedly.

Growling, Phil let the energy go. 

He wasn't prepared to have his arm grabbed and something snap on it.

"Nice work, Grant," John said.

"Thanks John," the dark haired man next to Phil said. 

"Phil meet Grant, he's my ward," John said. "Grant meet Phil, he need to go to the dungeon and then we'll have to figure out how to get him to Oglek. You know how they like sacrificing mages."

"I do," Grant agreed. "They boil them."

John winced, but said nothing as Grant tugged on Phil's arm, guiding him out of the room and down into the dungeons. 

"Hey Phil," Clint greeted him.

"Clint," Phil said, as he was shoved into the cell next to him. "We should have gone camping."

Clint nodded. "We should have."

"I would have found you eventually," Grant stated as he headed back upstairs.

Phil sighed. "So… any ideas how we're going to get out of this."

"Working on it," Clint said, holding up a bloody arm.

"What the fuck?!" Phil said, going to press at the bars separating them. "Clint!" 

"Phil, it's for blood magic."

"It can beat the anti-magic band?"

Clint nodded. "At least until ze works zir way down here."

"Is ze coming?"

"Waiting for the distraction to arrive," Clint replied. 

"Distraction?"

Clint nodded and then held a finger to his lips. 

Nodding, Phil understood. Clint had a plan and there was a good chance that someone was listening in. 

"I trust you," Phil murmured.

Clint glanced up, looking at him.

"I hate to admit, but you've been right more than I have. I don't think I've been right once on this trip."

Clint smirked. "You were right when you decided to help me."

Phil nodded. "I thought you killed the Vodons."

"But I was also pretty hopeless with Finch."

"You know his name is Folcher?"

"Folcher is a horrible name."

Phil laughed. "Yeah, it is." 

*

Clint's eyes flew open as the door banged against the wall. Garett and Ward stepped into the prison, carrying a case. Clint stayed where he was, feigning nonchalance. Phil, however, sat upright, getting to his feet.

"John, Olgek, really?" Phil said.

"Shut up, Phil," John said. "We're here to talk to your buddy. Grant wants to know something about your escape."

"Maybe, if you give me a shirt," Clint said. "It's kind of cold down here."

"You'll talk or we'll kill Phil's familiar," Grant said, setting the case down. 

Clint peered inside, the cat did look like Phil's. He glanced at Phil to simply see horror. No, Phil couldn't be sure, because of the anti-magic bonds that wouldn't allow him to talk to Vella. It was the only way Tyrra was getting messages to him. "Well, ask away…"

"How'd you know we were there?" Ward asked.

"You're not as stealthy as you think," Clint replied, earning a fearful look from Phil. "Of my familiar told me."

"You don't have a familiar," Garrett stated. "And magic was used."

Clint nodded, he had wondered if it had been. He quickly considered a believable lie. "Some detect magic wards were used."

"How'd you make it look you went southeast when you went southwest?" Grant growled.

"I didn't, Feys did it for me," Clint replied.

Garrett sighed. "This is why, Phil, Barton has all this power and he's made some pretty powerful friends and he's a lying idiot that talks of fairy tales as if they were real."

"Well," Phil started, looking between them. "He hasn't pretended to be my friend, only to throw me in prison after having his ward murder an entire family!"

John mimed a punch and Clint could just see the magic that slammed into Phil's gut, knocking the breath out of as he dropped to his knees. "You don't appreciate what I've done for you, Phil. The Tentacled Head would have preferred you returned to your Eight a lot sooner, but I was able to keep you alive for a bit, let you enjoy some of you life. Mostly so you could become stronger, make a better sacrifice."

Clint had straightened out of his sprawl to keep an eye on Phil.

Garrett turned to look at Clint. "So, how'd you do it?"

"Fey," Clitn replied.

The mage hand slammed the cage into a wall and the cat in it cried out. 

"You going to keep with that answer?!"

Clint glanced at the box, still not sure if it was actually Phil's familiar. 

"Milord!" A servant came running in. "The Queen is here with Sir Rogers!"

Garrett straightened, letting his magic drop. "Well, I guess we'll have to go and greet them. You're sure it's just the Queen and Rogers?"

"They have a servant, Barnes," the servant said. "Just those three."

"C'mon Grant, we need to go greet the Queen," Garrett said, heading out. Grant followed him, closing and locking the door behind him.

"Phil," Clint said, when he was sure they were gone. "You okay?"

"Yeah, surprised me, knocked the wind out," Phil said, straightening up. He looked over at the crumbled carrier. "I don't know if that's…"

Clint straightened going over to wall and reaching out to touch his shoulder. "She's too smart to be caught by those idiots."

"There are familiar traps. Olgekian priests use them," Phil said. "Weaken the mage."

"Yeah well…" Clint was unsure, so he focused on the good news. "Our distraction has arrived."

"The Queen is our distraction?" Phil asked.

"Yep," Clint said, holding up the nail that he'd been stabbing himself with for blood magic. Phil made a face at it until Clint went over to the lock and picked it. He went over to Phil's and did the same. 

Phil went over to the cat, peering inside. He opened the door to let the poor thing out and it bolted out of the box. 

"Can't be her," Clint said. 

"No," Phil said, straightening up. "Doesn't mean I'm not going to have Steve come heal it when this is done."

"Yep," Clint agreed. 

Someone banged on the door. "Clint? Come pick this lock!"

Clint snorted. "Ah, is that the voice of an angel commanding me to do evil?"

"Asshole," Barnes replied.

"Nope, it's only Bucky," Clint said, going over to work on the lock. 

Phil stared at Clint, shaking his head. "Is now really the time for that?"

"Well, if we're going to die…" Clint said as he worked. "Might as well have fun doing it."

The door opened and Bucky stepped in. 

Clint held out his wrist with the band on it. "Break please."

Bucky snorted and placed his metal hand on it. The arm had confounded mages back in Queda, but Clint had declared it safe, recognizing the Blue Court's hand in it, as well as the magic metalwork found only in far off Vebolo. Since they fey were involved, distance was never an issue and time could act strangely. Still, Tyrra knew it was safe, and what Tyrra knew, Clint knew and he was able to declare that it was safe. He didn't mention that it had abilities beyond functioning as an arm. The seams in the metal glowed with a silver light and the anti-magic band cracked and broke.

"Thank you," Clint said, reaching for his magic and for Tyrra. "Help Phil." 

_Hello love, where are you?_

_Just outside the castle with Tony. Phil's familiar?_

_With us. I opened a window for her to get out and carried her to safety_

Clint glanced over to see Phil's band cracking off. "Vella's safe."

"Good," Phil said and then his face went slack as he communicated with her himself. "So what's the plan?"

"We wait for the big distraction," Bucky said. "Which will take until Mysterious and Careful make their way to Tony."

Clint grinned and bounced on his toes as he realized what Bucky meant.

"You're using the dragons to attack the keep?" Phil asked.

Clint nodded as did Bucky.

Phil laughed. "Can we try not to take out anyone that has a possibility of being innocent?"

"You mean only kill Ward and Garrett?" Clint asked.

"That's the plan, with the two Holiest people sorting out the rest," Bucky said as shouting began upstairs. Together the trio took off running up the stairs. 

"Folcher?"

"Tasha is rescuing him," Bucky said.

"Tasha's here?"

"She has a friend on the untamed islands. Arrived at Queda just as we were about to leave," Bucky explained. 

Clint nodded as they came upon a group of guards. "All yours, Phil, I don't have my bow, so I'm more likely to main and kill."

Phil laughed and unleashed his magic, knocking the guards off the feet. 

"Ooo, someone is pissed," Clint noted.

"They made me think that they killed my familiar," Phil growled.

Clint looked over and yeah, Phil was angry. "Wow, you're hot when you're angry."

Phil arched an eyebrow at him. "Is now the time for that?"

"Right," Clint agreed.

Phil paused. "We should get your things. I know where Garrett would keep them." He turned and took a turn.

Clint took off after him.

"We're supposed to be getting out!" Bucky called after them, but Clint heard him huff and his footsteps followed. 

Phil stopped in front of a door and tried to open it. He looked back at Clint, who held his hand out palm up for when Bucky joined them. Bucky slapped an actual lockpicking set in to his hand and Clint got to work to work on it. He looked at Phil and nodded. Clint could feel Phil draw upon his magic. Clint opened the door and Phil stepped in.

"FREEZE!" Phil yelled. 

Clint ducked around the door to find both Garrett and Ward in the room, frozen, a door opening in the fireplace. "Oh, were you trying to leave?" 

Garrett glowered and Ward glared.

Scanning the room, Clint spotted his bag, he dug through it and grabbed some rope "Buck, can you lay hands on Garrett, I know he's got some magic."

"Gladly," Bucky said, going over to grab Garrett's wrist. The seams glowing with a red light.

Clint wrapped the rope around Grant's hand and then looked at Phil. "Drop it."

Phil nodded. As soon as Clint felt the spell dropped, he moved, shoving Ward down and tying him up. Garrett attempted to punch Bucky, but Bucky sidestep and dragged him off balance, hand firmly locked on him. 

"Alright," Clint said, backing away slowly from Ward. He went to grab his bow as the doors burst open again to reveal a fully armed and armored Sir Steven. 

He blinked spotting everyone already in the room. "You're supposed to be out of the castle by now."

"They wanted Clint's stuff," Bucky stated. "You ran into trouble?"

"They threw their guards at us. Carol is handling it," Steve answered. 

Together the four of them dragged Garret and Ward back outside to the courtyard. Queen Carol arrived a few minutes later. The dragons circled above them for a few loops, before shrinking down. Tyrra landing on Clint's shoulder and rubbing zir head against Clint's cheek. Carol yelled to the guards on the gates and the guards lifted the gates, allowing Tony to stroll in, carrying Phil's familiar. His familiars flew above, finding spots to perch on. Natasha appeared from where she was hiding, holding Folcher and looking uncomfortable. 

After Phil petted his familiar, he went to Natasha. "Do you want me to…" Phil said, holding out his arms to Natasha. 

Natasha immediately thrust Folcher into his hands. "Thank you."

"Lose the toss?" Clint asked, pulling her into a hug.

"Yep," Natasha said. "Dragged Coulson into this mess?"

"Yeah," Clint nodded. "Friends in the Lonely Isles?"

Natasha smiled, but said nothing as Galbi landed on her shoulder. She reached up and stroked his head, turning toward where Carol stood over Garrett and Ward.

"I don't even have to try to you for the Vodons," Carol said. "You tried to have me killed, that's treason punishable by death. I know you, Lord Garrett, have magic. Does your ward?"

Garrett said nothing.

Carol frowned. "Steve, Manacles of The Eight, please." She held out her hands. The manacles were anti-magic bonds, blessed by The Eight. She slapped them on Garrett and his form melted away to reveal a short, grey haired woman. Carol quickly did the other manacles and Ward's form disappeared to reveal a blond woman. Both wore clothes that indicated that were servants of Garrett's household. 

Carol cursed.

"There was a passage in the office, I thought we had caught them in time, but…" Clint said, shaking his head. 

"Understood," Carol said, looking at them. "Steve, Bucky…?"

"We can go," Steve said with a nod.

"Do not cross into Olgek," Carol ordered.

The two men nodded and headed back inside. 

She looked at Clint and Phil. "I would send you back to Embidran now, but I will have need of your support Sir Steven. Three of you are in need of time to recover and heal and the fourth is the gatekeeper. I cannot send any of you without sending all of you."

"It would be unwise to leave you unguarded, your majesty, we understand," Clint said. 

Carol nodded. "Then let us get to work and find out who is truly loyal."

*

It took days for Garrett Keep to be cleared, but Mage-Lady Wanda set a contingent of guards along with her brother to help maintain the peace. Letters had flown back and forth as Carol and Rhodey debated who to elevate into the position. Phil wasn't supposed to know the Lordship was offered to Clint, but he had been offered and refused, which meant even more letters until Lady Van Dyne was offered the charge of the keep and had accepted. They waited until she could arrive with her party until they set out back to Embidran. This time with a pair of nannies to care for Folcher.

Phil had several days to look at Clint with a new perspective and what he found was a man that was… amazing to say the least. He was adept with his magic. Excellent with the children he talked to, though still nervous around the babies. He'd take one from a mother if she needed a moment during interviews. He was handsome and his smile lit up his face.

"You're thinking deep thoughts," Clint said, moving up next to him, leaving Natasha behind them.

"I'm thinking about how you've been right and I've been wrong," Phil said. "To be honest, it's a bit annoying."

Clint chuckled. "What have I been right about?"

"Fey, Familiar, and Garrett," Phil listed off. "Can you please be wrong about something?" He smiled at the other man to let him know he was teasing.

"I'm wrong about plenty, Natasha usually there to say 'I told you so', though," Clint said.

"Just stick around, Coulson, it's only a matter of time," Natasha called from behind them. 

"See!" Clint gestured back.

"Is that an invite?" Phil asked, looking at Clint.

Clint blinked. "Uh, sure?"

Phil nodded. "Good, I look forward to seeing how you work without hauling around a baby."

"You're wanting to travel with us?"

"I want to know what else I'm wrong about," Phil said.

"Alright," Clint agreed.

Phil studied the other man, thinking back to the escape. "So, you said something during the escape."

"I said a lot of things."

"You said, 'I looked hot when I was angry.'"

Clint blushed, looking away, but he nodded.

"Just when I'm angry?"

"Yes. No. Why are you asking this?"

"Because, I'm curious. Because I've had a sevenday to re-evaluate my perspective."

"Why would you be curious though?" 

Phil hesitated. "Have you heard that there's a thin line between love and hate?"

"I've heard the saying," Clint said.

"I've had lots of reasons reasons to hate you, but they were lies and now that I know that… you seem like the type that…" Phil trailed off.

"That you could love?" Clint finished.

Phil nodded, risking a look at Clint's stunned face.

"Huh, well, guess, you didn't have to wait very long for me to be wrong."

Phil blinked. "Excuse me?"

"I was pretty sure you'd never think of me like that," Clint admitted.

"Okay, but you're not answering my questions," Phil said. "Do you think of me in that way?"

"Why else would I be wondering if you'd ever be interested in me?" Clint gestured.

Phil considered that, before nodding. "Fair. Maybe if I wasn't so invested I would have figured that out."

Clint chuckled and Zaide moved closer, so that Phil's leg was caught between the two horses. Clint leaned in and Phil leaned in as well. Their lips pressed against one another's briefly, pulling away before they could become off balance. It wasn't enough, Phil decided. He wanted more, but it would have to do until they were home They had time after all. 

They could figure out how they fit together, but he was pretty sure Clint and he were going to fit together nicely. He glanced back to see Natasha looking at them. She gave him a brief smile and nodded her head. Well, Natasha didn't seem bothered by it. They'd have to deal with Ward and Garrett eventually, but they could do that together.

*

"Ready?" Clint asked, looking at Phil.

Phil nodded. "I've dealt with rulers before."

Natasha snorted on the other side of Clint. "Not like this."

"I think he's more nervous than me," Phil said, looking at her.

"Well, the Sister Queens _rarely_ hold court in the _same_ court," Clint hissed, looking at the doors. 

The red and silver door opened and they were announced. Clint took the lead and Phil paced next to Natasha, one step and to the left of Clint. They reached the end of the chamber and all went to their knees to bow to the Sister Queens. 

"Phillip Coulson, You're late," Queen Nebula declared.

Phil's head jerked up and he met Clint's eyes, who had turned to look at him. Fuck, Clint's crazy ass theory was right. 

**Author's Note:**

> 


End file.
